As summer comes to an end, Lisa Tremble, Chief Customer and People Officer, reflects on how British Airways has continued to invest in improving the customer journey throughout one of the airline’s busiest periods.
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As summer draws to a close, we’re reflecting on the progress we’ve made across the customer journey and the colleagues who make it possible every day. Across BA, teams have been working throughout one of our busiest travel periods to improve every stage of the customer experience – right from booking to arrival at their destinations, and the support they receive when plans unexpectedly change. We are so proud to say we’ve achieved our best-ever July for punctuality, with more than 3.5 million customers flying with us.
We’re investing in our operation, network, lounges, onboard connectivity and experience, alongside bringing in new tools and technology that make it easier for customers to manage their journeys and help colleagues provide more joined-up support. That includes our new British Airways app, which brings clearer information throughout the journey and new tools for our contact centres which includes our new AI-first contact centre platform, which is helping colleagues find the information they need and support customers more quickly.
But investment and technology alone do not create a great customer experience. It’s our colleagues who bring these improvements to life every day. We know we haven’t always got everything right, and this summer has brought its share of challenges, from exceptionally hot weather and other complexities that come with running a 24/7 global operation. It’s not always easy and things don’t always go to plan, but our focus is always on doing the best for our customers. Time and time again, our colleagues show resilience through the care they provide, the problems they solve and the way they support customers in the moment, day in and day out.
Projects making a difference at British Airways
Every day, teams are working together across the airline to deliver practical improvements to make our customers’ experience better. In the UK, for example:
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Our brilliant Customer Experience colleagues at Heathrow are using iPads to support customers around the terminal to help keep their journeys moving during busy times
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In our Terminal 5 Arrivals hall, we’ve been surprising customers with complimentary treats from our partner brands, Grind Coffee, DASH Water, Harrogate Water and Jude’s ice lollies – all helping to give customers a warmer welcome (or a cooler one, when the weather is hot!)
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At Heathrow Terminal 3, we’re trialling new ways to make journeys through the airport smoother and more reliable. Opening the bag drop 30 minutes earlier has already helped almost 7,000 customers to begin their journeys sooner, while helping reduce queues during busy periods
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In Newcastle, we completed a £17million refurbishment in our contact centre, to ensure a consistent, high-quality experience across the entire customer journey
Caring for our customers
Our Customer Care operation has become more proactive and digitally enabled, helping teams provide faster, more joined-up support to customers.
We always want our customers to enjoy a smooth and seamless journey with us. But when their travels don’t go to plan, our Proactive Customer Care team works behind the scenes to resolve any issues as smoothly as possible. By monitoring journeys and identifying where extra support may be needed, the team can step in early with information, rebooking options and practical help – often before a customer needs to contact us. Highlights include:
Connected Teams expansion
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Our award-winning customer care solution is now available on all Heathrow based aircraft and allows cabin crew to work with our Proactive Customer Care team on the ground to offer immediate guidance and resolve customer issues before landing.
New customer insight and support tool
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We’ve launched a new cloud-based contact centre system, helping our teams provide faster, more personalised support when customers get in touch. This means shorter waiting times, quicker resolutions and a smoother experience when they need our help.
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Customers can now contact our Bronze, Silver and Gold phone lines 24/7 alongside live chat, which is already available round the clock.
Digital support
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Digital vouchers (Swiipr & TAC) provide instant food, accommodation and refreshment support to customers when they need it.
As the summer season draws to a close, it’s an opportunity to reflect on the investments we’ve made across the airline to strengthen our operation and improve the customer journey. Behind those improvements has been a huge team effort, with colleagues across British Airways working together to keep our operation moving during one of our busiest periods. As we look ahead to winter, we will continue to build on this progress, ensuring our teams remain aligned and ready to deliver for our customers.
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